Tools of the Trade
by Tashaelizabeth
Summary: Some experimental drabbles of the Charlie slash Colby variety.
1. Badge

"Want to see it?"

Charlie raised an eyebrow at Colby, smirking. 

They were sharing a couch in an abandoned FBI office. It was late and they were chatting casually, waiting to be useful. 

"Sure," Charlie said, shifting towards him.

Colby pulled the badge from his pocket and handed it over.

Charlie opened the leather cover and ran his thumb along the badge. "Hmm," Charlie said, smiling at the even, sterile printing of Colby's name. "I guess…" he said looking up, but he then couldn't remember what he meant to say because Colby was kissing him for the very first time.


	2. Coffee

The only way Colby would touch him with the others around was the slightest overlapping of their fingertips when he handed Charlie a cup of coffee. It was sweet, in it's own way, that Colby didn't remember that if he was supposed to be pretending they weren't seeing each other, he probably shouldn't get Charlie coffee to begin with.

Charlie drank it fast, burning his mouth and numbing his tongue, drinking cup after cup until he couldn't control his tapping feet and everything smelt the same. Working, yes, but also counting down the sips until Colby would touch him again.


	3. Gun

Almost every night, Charlie waited for Colby fall asleep. When his breathing was slow and even, when he did that arm twitch that indicated he was completely out, Charlie pulled forward, out of the protective circle of Colby's arms, reached up to the bedside table and put his hand on the cold handle of Colby's gun.

He'd get a chill all through his body and a hot flush pounding in his ears. 

He never went so far as to lift or aim it, just pressed his fingers against the metal for a moment, gasped, then settled back down and slept.


	4. Chalk

Chalk holders are slippery little things.

Charlie knew he'd had one earlier, but he seemed to have set it down somewhere and then, no matter how many piles of paper he moved, he just couldn't find the damn thing. That was why he had chalk on his hands when Colby popped in for a visit and that is why there was chalk all over Colby's shirt and down the back of his jeans when he went back to work. 

"So here I am," Charlie groaned, head down. "I'll have to explain everything.."

"For want of a chalk holder," Larry said. 


	5. Handcuffs

The cuffs felt heavy and solid on his wrists. Real handcuffs bruised and Charlie had to plan ahead, wear long sleeves for days, but he loved the weight, the cold actuality of them. He loved the way Colby put them on him, taking one hand, then the other, the bracelets just tight enough. Most of the time Colby put them on in front and Charlie lay on his back, arching under Colby's fingertips, but sometimes, and Charlie loved this the best, Colby put them on behind his back and bent him over a table, one heavy hand holding him down.


	6. Conversation

"Understand?"

Colby shook his head, dazed. "Charlie, you lost me right after, 'It's really very simple.'"

Charlie sighed, his disappointment evident. He looked from his paper to Colby, then picked up two nearby pencils to use as props.

"It _is_ really very simple. Look…" he began, raising them up.

Colby brought his hand down on top of Charlie's, effectively ceasing the explanation.

"No Charlie, I'm not gonna get it. Not with props. Not with a song and dance show. You get it. That's enough. I trust you."

"But…"

"It's not simple and here's the thing, _it doesn't have to be_."


	7. Non Lethal Submission Techniques

"Show me," Charlie said.

"Charlie..." It sometimes scared Charlie that Colby's eyes were so filled with love.

"Please," Charlie said.

Colby swallowed. "I don't think this is a good idea."

Charlie tilted his face down, then looked up through his eyelashes, playing dirty. "Please."

Colby sighed. "I'm doing this once and under duress."

"Noted."

Charlie didn't catch what exactly Colby did, but the next second he was face first on the carpet, breathing hard, with Colby's knee in his back.

Colby let up immediately, anxious to check on him.

Charlie rolled on his back, grabbed Colby hard and kissed him.


	8. Internet Supplied Statistics

There are a few things Charlie doesn't think too hard about. Where did he put his keys? Did he eat lunch today? Does the houseplant by his desk need to be watered, fed, repotted or put out of its misery by throwing it off the roof?

Not thinking about these things allows him to focus what he's good at.

What Charlie absolutely does not think about are the odds of getting injured on the job for a FBI field agent in L.A. Especially now that Colby is a perfectly reasonable 22 (22 and ½, 23) minutes late and hasn't called.


End file.
